Appliance for adjusting the folding tops of vehicles.



. J. HUTGHINSON.

APPLIANCE FOR ADJUSTING THE FOLDING TOPS 0F VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION IILED 13110.16, 1912.

Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

qLuMmA PLANOORAPH c0.. WASHINGTO I). c.

W. J. HUTGHINSON.

APPLIANCE FOR ADJUSTING THE FOLDING TOPS or VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.1G,1912. 1 073 900 Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM JAMES HUTGHINSON, O35 TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

APPLIANGE FOB ADJUSTING THE FOLDING TOPS O13 VEHICLES.

Application filed December 16, 1912,

Specification of Letters Patent.

f ;atented Etcpt. 23, 1913.

Serial No. 737,075

710 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM JAMns Hu'rcinnson, of the city of Toronto,in the: county of York, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, haveinvented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Appliances forAdjusting the Folding Tops of Vehicles, of which the following is thespecification.

or lowered to the closed or open position without the necessity of theoccupant of the vehicle having to alight from the vehicle and itconsists essentially of a lever secured to the front post of the headpiece and to which the links supporting the head piece are connected, aturnable rod journaled in the body of the vehicle, acord extending upfrom such rod to one arm of the aforesaid lever and over suitablyarranged pulleys, a cord also extending from the same arm of the lever,a tension spring to which the opposite end of the cord is connected,means for rotating the turnable shaft and means for locking the shaft inthe position to which it is turned as hereinafter more particularlyexplained.

Figure 1, is a general perspective view, partially broken away and insection, of the back portion of a vehicle and the head piece thereof.Fig. 2, is across section through Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and L are details ofthe tension spring. Fig. 5, is an enlarged detail of the operatinglever. Fig. 6, is a similar view to Fig. 5 looking at right anglesthereto.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

A is the body of the vehicle provided with the usual frame A having theinner lining A and the outer shell A provided with a lining A in theinner Wall A.

B is the head piece provided with front braces B and cover B supportedby the braces B in the usual manner.

B is a bell crank lever comprising arms B and B connected by the bracesB".

B are lugs extending from the arm B and to Which the braces B arepivotally connected. I

C is the bottom of the vehicle and to which are secured the bearings Cand C \O" is an operating shaft journaled in the bearings C and C C" isa double ratchet gear seemed to the shaft C.

.l) is a hood covering the ratchet C and secured to the floor C.

D is a spring plunger held within the socket I) forming part of thehood. The plunger D normally engages with the ratchet wheel C' to holdit in the required position.

I) is a button for withdrawing the spring plunger when necessary.

E is a lever also swung on the slmft C.

F are spools secured on the shaft C in proximity to each end thereof.

F is a pulley secured in suitable bearings between the lining A, and thelining At.

il is a pulley (see Fig. 2) journaled in suitable bearings secured tothe inside of the wall A.

F is a cord secured at one end to the arm B and extending over thepulleys F and F to the spools F to which itis secured.

G are tension springs secured at one end to brackets G located betweenthe linings A. and A. The opposite ends of the springs are connectedtogether by a plate G". (i and G" are pulleys also suitably journalcdbetween the linings A and A.

G is a cord extending from the arm B of the lever over the pulleys G andG to the plate (l to which it is suitably secured.

It will, of course, be understood that there are a series of pulleys,operating cords and tension springs connected to similar levers locatedat each side of the top head piece as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.1.

I is an operating lever provided with a plunger l engaging the ratchetC.

When the occupant of the vehicle desires to lower the top head piece allhe has to do is to swing the lever E downwardly so as to wind the cordsB" around the spools F. This operation draws the arm B of the leverdownwardly in the direction of arrow so as to lower the head piece in tothe posi tion shown by dotted lines.

It will be readily seen that by the downward movement of the arm B thatthe springs G are drawn in to tension by the cord G connecting thesprings to the arm B.

The spring plunger D serves to prevent the return movement of theratchet C when the head piece is thrown in to the depressed r welladapted to what are technically known position holding the head piece insuch position until the plunger is withdrawn by means of the button DWhen the occupant of the vehicle desires to raise the hood thewithdrawal of the plunger D and spring G- act to pull the arm G upwardlyin the reverse direction of arrow thereby raising the head piece in tothe position shown in the drawings.

If it be desired to have the driver of the vehicle to operate thehead-piece instead of the occupant of the vehicle, a supplemental pulleyH may be employed as disclosed by Fig. 1, around which may extend acordH secured to a spool (not shown) in the shaft C said cord beingoperable from the pulley H and a lever H similar to the lever H.

Although I have shown my device as applied to a closed vehicle it willof course be understood that the device may be equally as open vehiclessuch as touring cars and the like.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an adjusting appliance for folding tops for vehicles, thecombination with the body of the vehicle and the folding top framehinged in the usual manner to the body, of a lever extending outwardlyin. a

substantially horizontal direction from the hinged point at each side ofthe frame, an

piece hinged in the usual manner to the' body, a lever extendingoutwardly'from the hinged point, an operating shaft, a ratchet wheel onthe shaft, a spring locking plunger coacting therewith, an operatinglever mounted on the shaft and co-acting with the ratchet, pulleyssuitably journaled in the body, tension springs secured within the body,a cord extending from the operating shaft over the pulleys to the leverarm, and

a cord extending from the tension springs over pulleys to the lever arm,as and for the purpose specified.

WILLlAM JAMES HU'ICHINSON.

Witnesses:

B. BOYD, W. A. BOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. c." 7

